Digital White Papers

ILTA'S 2024 DE+I CLIMATE SURVEY REPORT ILTANET.ORG/DEI 10 • More presence and awareness. Do not hear about the events as much. • Communicate more - this survey is a good start. • Hands on events and talks to raise wider awareness of how to better support diverse peers and access to the industry/career paths - I suspect diversity events are only attended by diverse people. • Create a pipeline for more diverse applicants and selected individuals in leadership roles. • Keep the conversation going. The more we learn about each other, the more we will find we are more common than different, and our differences are what makes us strong, and our commonalities are what makes us a community. Challenges Related to Supporting DEI Efforts Several challenges related to supporting DEI efforts within ILTA were identified. These challenges include the feeling that DEI initiatives are not relevant or needed within ILTA and the legal technology industry, the lack of awareness of DEI efforts being made, and the belief that DEI efforts distract members from the legal technology focus. Additionally, external challenges such as the lack of diversity in the technology pipeline, political and media pressures, and biases in hiring and advancement were also mentioned. • The pushback in 2023 on DEI. I believe that pushback and some of the rhetoric around DEI and related will strain these efforts in a complex environment. • The pipeline of new people coming into technology in general is not diverse. This is a problem at the secondary and college admissions and advising levels, where encouraging women and minorities to enter the Info Sec and IT fields should be encouraged by organizations like ILTA. • I'm not sure if people that are not deeply involved in DEI initiatives fully understand what it means at a practical level. • I think increasing representation in large events like ILTACON has always been a challenge. The will is definitely there and it's been improving as a result of efforts, but it'd be nice to see more of it. • Ensuring that individuals from diverse backgrounds have equal access to opportunities for career advancement and professional development also bridging gaps in networking opportunities, which can contribute to disparities in career progression. • Historical bias towards certain groups makes it hard to fully integrate or recruit new members that are not from those previous groups Some specific comments supporting these themes include:

• Cover